Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. Science & Tech
  2. Coronavirus
14 May 2020updated 06 Oct 2020 9:45am

Pharmaceutical boss causes outrage by saying US has “right“ to receive firm’s coronavirus vaccine first

By Samuel Horti

The boss of a major French pharmaceutical firm has caused uproar by saying the US has the “right” to the largest pre-orders of the company’s coronavirus vaccine because the country is part-funding the research.

Paul Hudson, chief executive of Sanofi, told Bloomberg News: “The US government has the right to the largest pre-order because it’s invested in taking the risk. That’s how it will be because they’ve invested to try and protect their population, to restart their economy. I’ve been campaigning in Europe to say the US will get vaccines first.”

Sanofi, which has partnered with British firm GlaxoSmithKline, has not yet begun trials of its vaccine, which will be ready in late 2021 at the earliest.

France’s higher education minister Frédérique Vidal said Sanofi’s plan was “incomprehensible and disgraceful”, and that a vaccine must be a “public good for the world”. Other critics pointed out that the Paris-based company has received tens of millions of euros in research credits from the French government in recent years.

Select and enter your email address Your new guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture each weekend - from the New Statesman. A quick and essential guide to domestic politics from the New Statesman's Westminster team. A weekly newsletter helping you understand the global economic slowdown. The New Statesman’s weekly environment email. Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates.
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Olivier Bogillot, the head of Sanofi’s French division, distanced himself from Hudson’s comments today, saying the vaccine would reach the US, France and Europe “at the same time”.

Content from our partners
How placemaking can drive productivity in cities – with PwC
The UK needs SMEs to reach net zero
To truly tackle regional disparities, we need a new type of devolution

Last month, the United Nations set up a task force to ensure any vaccine was evenly distributed around the world.